Introduction

While the harnessing of carbon energy has shaped global societal development, its benefits have historically been inequitable, with well-established nations reaping most of the rewards (Mann, 2010). Additionally, fossil fuel-burning has done serious environmental damage, with accumulation of product greenhouse gases leading to global warming (United Nations, 2021b). An energy transition from carbon sources to renewables will be necessary in mitigating the worst of these damages. However, there are infrastructural, political and economic barriers hampering transitional progress in the Global North. This paper investigates these barriers and potential solutions discussed in the decarbonisation literature. Carbon transition is considered in the context of the developing nations of the Global South, and how the barriers discussed translate there.

Infrastructural Barriers

Clean energy production is vital in the transition from carbon energy and has seen significant improvements in recent decades. However these clean energy sources are limited due to the variability of their energy generation (Iweh et al., 2021). It is important that significant investments be made to grid systems that result in more efficient delivery of energy and provide grid stability (Venkataraman, Ziesler and Johnson, 2018). Variability can also be addressed through the implementation of energy storage systems that allow excess energy to be conserved for later, as well as ‘smart’ grid operating systems which optimize electricity management through the use of advanced algorithms (Jankowiak et al., 2019; Sharma et al., 2011; U.S. Department of Energy, 2019).

Social and Political Barriers

Fossil fuel firms are well-established energy providers, and use their influence and capital to sway political decisions in their favor (Roberts et al., 2018). This policy lock-in is exacerbated when political polarization leads to rejection of climate policies on the basis of party affiliation (Bang, 2021). These firms are best addressed through the formation of counter coalitions which have diverse motivations but ultimately benefit from a carbon transition (Schmitz, 2017). Furthermore, policymakers should create policies that focus on financial incentives for transitioning, encouraging bipartisan support (Green and Gambhir, 2020). Governments should also build policies that support technological innovation and the phasing out of fossil fuels, preventing carbon lock-in (Tvinnereim and Mehling, 2018).

Economical Barriers

So far, the fossil fuel industry has been largely unregulated, giving corporations little reason to change their practices (Bocken and Short, 2021). Ties between the government and fossil fuel firms result in subsidizations which support the carbon industry, and are hard to remove because low-income individuals are disproportionately affected by resulting energy price increases (Rentschler and Bazilian, 2017). There should be implementation of financial incentives which reward good behavior and protect the most at-risk individuals, like investing in sustainable energy usage (Hart and Noll, 2019). While there are limitations in these strategies, from a market perspective, these incentives are the most effective in the business sector (Tvinnereim and Mehling, 2018). Cracking down on corruption will also level the playing field, which could be accomplished through international task forces and subsidy reforms.

Energy Transition in the Global South

The barriers to energy transition discussed earlier persist even in the Global South except in slightly different forms due to different social-political climates and economical situations. Innovation in green energy shows promise in these regions, although this will only be possible through fostering relationships with locals that encourages independence and self-sufficiency, along with international funding. While large scale grids are not suitable for low-income regions, micro-grids could spearhead economic development, making private investments more attractive (Duffy et al., 2018).

Conclusion

In short, energy transition is a multifaceted issue requiring efforts ranging from ambitious policy changes, collaborations with diverse groups, and development of key infrastructure as summarized in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Summary of the different solutions investigated that could be used to accelerate decarbonisation across the globe.

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